Sociology · May / June 2025 · Paper 11 · Question 2
0495
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2(a)(i)[2]
Define the term agencies of socialisation. Award one mark for a partial definition, e.g. the family. Award two marks for a clear definition, e.g. groups and institutions that teach the norms and values of society.
2(a)(ii)[2]
Define the term hybrid identities. Award one mark for a partial definition, e.g. mixing identities. Award two marks for a clear definition, e.g. when people combine and mix aspects of different cultures to create new identities.
2(b)[2]
Give two examples of coercion. Award one mark for each point correctly identified (up to a maximum of two). Possible answers:
threats or uses violence;using handcuffs to restrain someone;locking someone in a cell against their will;using a weapon such as a taser, pepper spray, baton or gun;using water canon or tear gas on rioters or protesters;smacking children;damaging someone’s property;any other reasonable answer.2(c)[6]
Explain three ways young people can be negatively affected by social media. Award one mark for each point correctly identified (up to a maximum of three). Award one mark for each point that is developed (up to a maximum of three). Possible answers:
young people can be affected by ‘body shaming’ on some social media sites where people are made to feel bad about how they look;online bullying and trolling can negatively impact a person’s mental health and has led to a number of suicides amongst the young;the anonymity of the internet means that young people are susceptible to grooming from sexual predators;young people spend a lot of time on social media and hence have less time for the ‘real’ offline – some think this is leading to a degradation of communications and other interpersonal skills such as socialising with others;social media use algorithms which track people’s online activity and direct them to sites that are similar to the ones previously visited so young people may not be exposed to many alternative views and instead just exist in an ‘echo chamber’ whereby the same ideas are bounced back to them;in some countries social media is monitored by the government and young people who become involved in protest movements may be vulnerable to arrest or detention by the state;social media can contain false information such as fake news and incorrect conspiracy theories e.g. about the COVID-19 vaccinations and this could impact a young person ’s health and wellbeing;any other reasonable answer.2(d)[6]
Explain three ways that identity can be negatively impacted by global culture. Award one mark for each point correctly identified (up to a maximum of three). Award one mark for each point that is developed (up to a maximum of three). Possible answers:
a global culture involves English as the dominant language and some countries see this as a cultural threat to their national identity e.g. France limits the amount of English language television that can be broadcast to protect their own language;global media promote a global/westernised culture and some countries see this as a threat to their own historic values e.g. China tries to block access to the internet and censor media from other countries to prevent their people assimilating western ideas and values;a global culture tends to promote a western secular worldview and this can come into conflict with religious traditions such as Islam as some Muslims do not agree with the western secular view on issues such as gender roles, sexuality and what constitutes crime and fitting punishments;global culture means western (and American) culture and some see this as bad because it may replace the indigenous local cultural traditions which may die out;global culture often involves cultural appropriation which may be seen as a legacy of colonisation e.g. white people now wearing dreadlocks associated with Rastafarianism;many people around the world are still excluded from the global culture which depends on high consumption e.g. in the developing world many cannot afford the consumer goods, holidays and lifestyle associated with such a culture and this may make them feel inferior;any other reasonable answer.2(e)[8]
Discuss how courts are an effective agency of formal social control. Your answer should include:
at least three developed points with evidence. Use Table C to mark answers to this question. Possible answers:the legal penalties imposed by courts act as a deterrent and encourage them to conform to the law to avoid harsh punishments;the courts can impose a prison sentence on offenders for serious crimes and this shows retribution for harm done to the community e.g. they will be locked in a cell and be denied basic freedoms;in sentencing someone to prison the public is protected as the offender is off the streets and thus crime is controlled to some degree;the court has a range of sentences it can impose from fines to community sentences to custodial sentences and this means that it can give out punishments that are appropriate to the offence so justice can be seen to be done;in some countries court sessions are now televised so the public can see the consequences for committing crimes and this acts as a deterrent;in some countries the death penalty is still in operation and this is the ultimate punishment for the offender and the ultimate deterrent to others who may commit the same or similar crimes;any other reasonable answer.2(f)[14]
Evaluate the functionalist view of socialisation. Your answer should include:
at least three arguments for and three arguments againsta conclusion. Use Table D to mark answers to this question. Possible arguments for:functionalists see socialisation as essential and the example of feral children can show what can happen if children are not socialised into human society – they are unable to fit in because they lack core skills, norms and values and usually end up isolated and mentally/emotionally damaged;functionalists view the family as the principal agent of socialisation because it teaches children the basic skills, norms and values needed to make them functioning members of society;functionalists are sometimes critical of single parent families as they think that typically a lack of a male role model can lead to deviant behaviour from young males who may then go on to threaten social order through crime;socialisation ensures that most people share the same norms and values which creates a sense of belonging or social cohesion because there is widespread agreement on values;functionalists, like Parsons, argue that socialisation is crucial in teaching male and female children appropriate gender norms which build on their innate biological traits e.g. fathers should teach their male children to be protectors and breadwinners whilst mothers should encourage their female children to be gentle and nurturing in preparation for their future role as carers and mothers;socialisation is also crucial for social control – individuals learn self- regulation through sanctions and rewards both from parents and other agents of socialisation and this promotes social order;functionalists view education as a bridge between the family and wider society as students are exposed to the hidden curriculum where they are prepared to assume adult roles in the workplace e.g. learning the importance of hard work, effort, punctuality and respect for authority etc.;any other reasonable answer. Possible arguments against:Marxists disagree with functionalists and argue that socialisation in the family simply perpetuates capitalist values which are damaging to the working class;Marxists criticise the hidden curriculum in schools because it transmits a capitalist ideology e.g. Bowles and Gintis argue working class students learn to obey authority so that they don ’t question bosses in the workplace which reinforces their subordinate status;Marxists argue that schools are not a meritocracy, instead they ensure that working class students fail and think this is their own fault, thus justifying their low status in society and reproducing social class e.g. Willis’ study of ‘the lads’;Marxists argue that the media doesn’t just help to integrate people into society, it acts as an ideological state apparatus (Althusser) which distracts the attention of working class people from the realities of exploitation and oppression, directing their attention and energies to trivia such as following celebrities and sport instead of tackling injustice;feminists argue that socialisation helps to create and maintain differences in power and status between males and females e.g. by socialising children into stereotypical gender roles which benefits males more than females;Oakley disagrees with Parsons’ sex-role theory and argues that children are socialised into damaging socially constructed gendered social expectations through manipulation, canalisation, verbal appellation and different activities;any other reasonable answer.
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